Emergency plan for elderly parents in India: the 15-minute checklist

Everything to set up once — contacts, numbers, medicines, hospital, documents and money — so an emergency does not start with a search.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-09-29

Want to see the daily check-in before you read on? Send DEMO to our WhatsApp and the exact message a parent gets arrives on your phone — in any of 21 languages, no account needed.

Why write it down

In an emergency the first half hour is lost to questions: which hospital, what medicines, who has the key, what is the blood group. Every answer exists somewhere — in a drawer, on a strip, in your mother’s head. The plan puts them on one page that anyone can read.

People

Two local contacts who can reach the house within 30 minutes, and who have agreed to be called.
A sibling or relative in India who can sign at a hospital.
Their regular doctor, and a second doctor or clinic as backup.
The building manager, watchman or society office.

Numbers to save on their phone and yours

Number	What it is
112	All emergencies — police, fire, ambulance — anywhere in India
108	Ambulance in most states
102	Ambulance and patient transport in some states
14567	Elder Line, the national helpline for senior citizens
Hospital emergency desk	The nearest hospital you have chosen — call once today to confirm the number

Medical facts

Current medicines with strength and timing.
Allergies, especially to medicines.
Blood group.
Major conditions and past surgeries, with years.
Implants or devices — pacemaker, stent, joint replacement.
The last three months of key readings, if they are tracked.

The hospital

Choose the nearest hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, and a backup.
Check the travel time at night and in the monsoon.
Check whether it is on the insurer’s cashless network.
Know where the entrance to the emergency department is.

Documents

Aadhaar and one more photo ID.
Health insurance card and policy number; Ayushman card if they have one.
Recent discharge summaries and lab reports.
A signed note naming who may be given medical information.

Money and access

An emergency fund that someone in India can reach at night.
A spare house key with a trusted neighbour.
Contacts for the building gate, lift and society office.

Make it shareable

Put it all on one card that you can send on WhatsApp in one tap, and print a copy for the fridge door. Our free emergency card maker does this in two minutes and keeps the information on your own device.

Review it twice a year

Medicines change, neighbours move, policies lapse. Put a reminder in your calendar for every six months, and go through the card during a visit or a video call.

Questions families ask

Where should the emergency card be kept?

On your phone and your siblings’ phones, on your parent’s phone, with the two local contacts, and printed near the front door or on the fridge.

Is 112 available everywhere in India?

Yes, 112 is the national emergency number. 108 and 102 ambulance services vary by state.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in India call 112.